Cancer expert beats off stiff competition to win prestigious European
award for achievement  

Release date:  7 December 2005 Cancer Research UK scientist, Professor
Ian Tomlinson, has won the European Voice "Achiever of the year" award,
out-shining fellow nominees Sebastian Coe, Ellen McArthur, JK Rowling
and German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

Professor Tomlinson was awarded the title for his ground-breaking
research in cancer genetics.

His work through the 'Cancergenes' project with Prof. Lauri Aaltonen of
Helsinki has led to the discovery of a number of genes that predispose
people to bowel and other cancers. Identifying these genes and
understanding the role they play is important for finding new ways to
treat the disease, but also for families that have a history of cancer.
If people at increased risk of cancer can be identified, it may be
possible to offer screening to help prevent the disease.
Every year, European Voice, the leading European weekly newspaper, casts
a spotlight on 50 individuals who have most influenced the European
legislative and political agenda. A distinguished panel of opinion
leaders from across the EU – including three former heads of state –
selected the nominees. The winners were chosen by the general public in
an online poll and via paper ballot forms in the European Voice.
The "EV50 awards" were presented by the former European Parliament
president, Pat Cox, at a gala ceremony at the Palais d'Egmont in
Brussels on Tuesday 29 November.
Professor Tomlinson, who is based at Cancer Research UK's London
Research Institute, said: "It's a great honour to have won this award.
It shows the importance which people place on cancer research.
Identifying the genes involved in cancer is key to understanding what's
going wrong to lead to the disease and developing new ways to prevent
and treat it."

knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional    
"Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is
invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so."
http://community.webtv.net/PALMER_ENT/doc